Russia’s long-range bombers flew over neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean and the Baltic Sea on Monday, according to the country’s defence ministry.
The Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and Tu-22M3 bombers conducted a “planned flight” in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic, Barents, Norwegian, East Siberian, Chukchi, Beaufort seas and the Arctic Ocean, the ministry said in a statement.
The flights come as Russia continues its military offensive in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that Ukraine lost up to 240 military personnel in the South Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours.
The ministry also said that Russian forces repelled six attacks by Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk direction, another six in the Donetsk direction and two more in the Krasnyi Lyman direction.
“As a result of the fighting, up to 240 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured combat vehicles, three vehicles, two US-made M777 artillery systems, as well as a French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery mount were destroyed in the South Donetsk direction,” the ministry added.
Meanwhile, more than 200 buildings were damaged in missile and drone strikes in the heart of Ukraine’s southern Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight Monday, authorities said.
“The city centre was the direct target,” Natalia Humeniuk, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, was quoted as saying by the Ukrinform news agency.
The port infrastructure was potentially under threat during the attack, she said, noting that the air defence intercepted all 15 combat drones and all eight Kalibr cruise missiles launched by Russia.
